The present invention relates generally to a device that controls the temperature of a person""s sleeping environment. Additionally, this invention provides a method of treating sleep apnea. Specifically, this invention is a device that pulls a suction through a tube, drawing air through a hose from an area in a person""s sleeping environment, e.g. between a mattress and blanket. The hose may alternatively be connected to a pad which is placed in the person""s sleeping environment, thereby removing warm air from the sleeping environment from beneath the person. A thermostat senses the temperature of the air being drawn through the hose or pad and adjusts the amount of air being drawn from the sleeping environment. When the temperature of a person""s sleeping environment is reduced, that person is less likely to suffer from snoring, delayed breathing or other symptoms of sleep apnea.
Controlling the temperature of a person""s sleeping environment is often a difficult task. If a person uses blankets, body heat causes the sleeping environment to increase in temperature during the night. Without a method to remove the heat from the sleeping environment, a person must remove the blankets periodically during the night, or sleep in a hyper-heated environment. If a person removes the blankets, the heat is dissipated, but the ambient temperature of the room is often below the optimum temperature for sleep comfort, and the person gets cold. When a person does not remove the blankets and sleeps in a hyper-heated environment, he or she develops a higher body temperature and is thus more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition that affects an estimated twelve million people in the United States. The symptoms of sleep apnea manifest during the night while the person is asleep. The most common type of sleep apnea results from an obstruction of the airway of a person. The symptoms include loud snoring and actual lapses in breathing of up to a minute at a time. Sleep apnea can cause irregular heartbeats, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, daytime drowsiness, and unexplained changes in behavior.
Present treatment options for sleep apnea include ceasing alcohol use, losing weight, and sleeping on a person""s side. If those activities do not resolve the problem, a person can wear a special pressurized mask during sleep, or even have surgery to remove the tonsils or extra tissue in the throat. Wearing a mask during sleep may be an uncomfortable and awkward treatment option. Moreover, surgery is an invasive and expensive procedure. The present invention is a non-invasive and more cost effective way to treat sleep apnea.
It is an object of the present invention to automatically control the temperature of a person""s sleeping environment. One example of a person""s sleeping environment is the area where a person""s torso and/or extremities are located during sleep, (i.e.) between the bottom sheet that covers the mattress and any blankets that cover the person.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating sleep apnea, by reducing the temperature of a person""s sleeping environment. When a sleeping person has a cooler atmosphere and thus, a cooler body temperature, they are able to breathe more freely.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a means for drawing a vacuum through a hose or tube, or cylinder is provided. An end portion of the hose, tube, or cylinder is situated in the person""s sleeping environment. The vacuum means draws a light suction from the sleeping environment and expels said warm air into the ambient space of the room. A thermostat monitors the temperature of the air being drawn from the sleeping environment and controls the speed of the vacuum means. When the temperature of the air being drawn from the sleeping environment is higher, the vacuum means draws more suction, and therefore more heated air will be drawn from the sleeping environment. When the temperature of the air being drawn out of the sleeping environment is lower, the output of the vacuum means is lower, and therefore less air will be drawn from of the sleeping environment.
A second embodiment of the present invention comprises a pad that is placed under the person in the sleeping environment. The pad has air-circulatory tubes, channels, or conduits embedded therein that are fluidly connected to the vacuum means, such as by a tube. The pad contains a plurality of holes or openings in the upper surface of the pad, which extend through the circulatory tubing, channels, or conduits, and therefore allow air to be drawn from the sleeping environment, through the openings, and into the tubes, channels, or conduits. The tubes, channels, or conduits are fluidly connected to the vacuum means, and therefore the air is subsequently drawn through the vacuum means and expelled into the ambient space of the room. A thermostat monitors the temperature of the air being drawn from the sleeping environment and adjusts the amount of air drawn by the vacuum means based upon the temperature of air.